nova

I’m tired of staying silent about this. It’s time for me to step up.  Honestly, I wish this situation was handled privately, but nobody is gonna listen to me so I am making one big post.

Sure I reacted badly because I was attacked so much, but looking at my style it has nothing in common… Despite being able to emulate or something like that, I still did my own spin on things. My art style is never consistent nor the same, I always change it because I’m gonna be honest here, it’s my art. My art, my hands, I do whatever the fuck I want and how I draw is my own business.

Art is about being comfortable or enjoy whatever the fuck you wanna do. If you’re gonna be so butt hurt because my stuff looks similar or because I may have had similar ideas, then get over it.

Okay… but I didn’t even see these, how was I supposed to know?… how the fuck am I supposed to know that I coincidentally drew something similar?! I don’t even mean to draw ANYTHING similar!

You have been told about this in the past, on at least three accounts, in both posts and messages and private talks. This is not an one-off instance, or an accident. This is deliberate, obnoxious refusal to own up to things you have done, and clear refusal to apologise for mistakes, however “accidental”.

And, from your post made immediately after this (with a link, and a screenshot:)

1) How was I supposed to know you did the same thing and I never saw your stuff before 

You have known Xera for two years. Two years I have seen you around, on Twitch and Tumblr and various other fan spaces, interecting with Xera and a myriad other people. You followed Xera until they ended up blocking you. You have seen their art, you have seen them around before, you have intereacted with them on many separate occasions, and you cannot deny it.

As for these things:

I LITERALLY JUST WANT TO KILL MYSELF  (tag from above post) *sighs* Now I’m seriously wondering if I’m better off dead…  (in your above response)

This is guilt tripping. This is, in the most simple terms I am capable of, guilt tripping the people who have, in the past, attempted to make you aware of your mistakes and are sick and tired of your fucking bullshit. You are threatening suicide and trying to make people feel guilt over your fuckups. None of us owe you the liberty of victimizing yourself any longer, or at all.

I’m tired of staying silent about this. It’s time for me to step up.  Honestly, I wish this situation was handled privately, but nobody is gonna listen to me so I am making one big post.

Sure I reacted badly because I was attacked so much, but looking at my style it has nothing in common… Despite being able to emulate or something like that, I still did my own spin on things. My art style is never consistent nor the same, I always change it because I’m gonna be honest here, it’s my art. My art, my hands, I do whatever the fuck I want and how I draw is my own business.

Art is about being comfortable or enjoy whatever the fuck you wanna do. If you’re gonna be so butt hurt because my stuff looks similar or because I may have had similar ideas, then get over it.

So let’s start from the beginning. The beginning of your reply to Ann here. Saying that “the subject has been dropped” pretty much implies that you have no intention of taking this feedback seriously. It comes across as a close-minded response on an issue that you yourself brought up. That, and the fact that Tumblr is still a very much public online space, you have to prepare yourself for replies that you both do and don’t like. And since the chances are pretty big that you’re gonna receive replies that you don’t want, well, that’s your work now. That’s where you, as the creator of this post, should have thought about that beforehand. Do you want to post something that is most likely to get replies (and and all kind) or are you just gonna vent to friends? Even then, posts can become relevant even months or years after they were originally posted.

And Ann here brought in some very, very valuable feedback. I completely agree with a lot of what they said!

I am just gonna sit down and reply to this in bits and pieces and give some of my personal feedback and heck, I am definitely not gonna hold back just because we used to share the same online space to some degree. I have seen this debacle from all sides and god it’s- it’s something alright. I don’t really care if you read this or not. (to be completely honest, I don’t expect you to after seeing your reply to Ann lmao) All I want to do is explain to people that are interested and want to improve and widen their mindset and/or views on this subject.

Now, what you’re basically telling in this post is that it is fine for artists to emulate styles. And yes, it totally is. However, if you keep emulating it is a sign that you are stagnating, that you are incapable of finding your own style and own flow of work. Something that makes your work yours, something that makes it recognisable for other people. Artists achieve this through emulation in very early stages.

Emulation is not about “copying a style or theme”. Emulation is all about seeing something, taking inspiration from it, and using aspects in a whole new manner. Emulation is not about seeing a style and flatly copying it. Emulation is about seeing something, getting inspired, and transforming it into something that is your own.

You pull up the Yogscast here as an example, and how they want you to emulate their style. Now, actually go and look at their art. Do they have a coherent and single style? No. every artist that works under their wings (*cough these poor souls *cough*) does their own thing, but all with a similar colour scheme and theme in mind. Ok now cast the Yogscast aside. Every company, every commissioner, every goddamn designer taking someone in as an artist of any kind expects you to fit their style. But what they look for is that you are capable of doing your own thing, doing something great and doing something that makes your work recognisable as yours. You gotta have that Thing that makes them want to hire you, and you are simply incapable of achieving that level of skill by just emulating other artists!

“How else do you think artists we love today get their ideas?” you say. The answer is simple. They keep trying. They see things that inspires them, learn new techniques from other people. And guess what they do next? They take that, throw it against a wall, chew on it for a bit, squish it into a ball, put into their heart and style and model it into something that is entirely their own. It is no longer recognisable as the previous thing, it has mutated into something else entirely. And that is what emulation is all about. Next point.

“Do you know what you’re doing when you tell someone that they shouldn’t draw because their art style looks similar or you’re copying someone? You’re basically humiliating their skills as an artist and chopping their art hand off.” God I really have to agree with Ann that this is just- hilariously dramatic, but for the sake of continuity I will tackle this thing as well. Do you know what you are doing when you are copying someone? Do you realise how hurtful it is to the original artist who worked hard to achieve this level of skill? Do you realise that, when you “emulate” and not change a single damn thing about it and not mutate it and make it your own that it’s just so incredibly boring? Continuously emulating and copying other people implies that you have zero confidence in your own skills, and rely on others to do the hard work for you. It is a sign that you are not able to muster up your own creativity.

Drop the emulation spiel and learn to grow up, you are only limiting yourself by copying other artists.

This brings me to the next interesting point! When you emulate, when you copy, it is only natural that you give the original artist credit, that you show them what you have done with their stuff. That you have changed it into something new entirely (this applies to emulation in particular). I have yet to see you do any of these things without being prompted or called out. This is where you shot yourself in the foot. People enjoy seeing their stuff being emulated and mutated, it gives them a good feeling to know that they have inspired someone to make something new, and help them on their way to achieving their own style. Copying however, especially uncredited, is highly frowned upon. I am pretty sure you remember the big callout post, do you see what happened here? Do you see the pattern that you have created for yourself, the grave that you dug?

“Art is about being comfortable or enjoy whatever the fuck you wanna do. If you’re gonna be so butt hurt because my stuff looks similar or because I may have had similar ideas, then get over it.” You say. I agree with the first point, art is what you do and what you like to do, make stuff you personally enjoy seeing. Now, this speaks for itself of course, but if you’re gonna do something like copying someone or someone’s idea and posting it publicly without crediting them- people are gonna be upset. People are gonna call you out on your bullshit. Oh and uh, remember this as well, lots and lots of your ideas were not original. Other artists before you did them (I am sure y’all sweethearts are aware <3) and while it is cool that you want to join in and hop the bandwagon, don’t you goddamn dare to claim these ideas as your own. Don’t you dare to claim these styles as your own without putting something of your own in it as you are supposed to do with emulation. You are the one who should get over it. People are right to call you out on your bullshit.

If you say “I am not copying or stealing, I am just showing things I love and enjoy by drawing and creating them”- I will kindly refer you again to that one callout post. You know the one. Read it- and read it well. If you made it this far into my post in the first place.

Let my clean reputation be “befouled” by this, for I don’t really care? I have made my point and I am fairly sure that there are plenty of (skilled) artists out there that agree on this idea of emulation. Have fun knowing that.

Oh and uh, I am not blind. Consider yourself called out by me as well sweetheart ; )